A smart, thrilling story of a dangerous and mystical adventure.
In Arielle’s debut YA novel, a New York University journalism student discovers the truth about her mysterious past while visiting Africa.
Nanyamka “Kay” Morowa is an overachieving undergraduate who spends much of her time working on hard-hitting news stories for her college paper or hanging out with her best friend, an outgoing Aussie named Beth. Kay forces herself to break off her romance with the handsome, adoring Callum when her recurring bad dreams indicate that his association with her will endanger his life. After her parents reveal that they haven’t been honest with her about her past, Kay leaves for South Africa feeling bitter and anxious. Her excitement on arrival is cut short when she becomes a victim of a human trafficking ring operated by a large-scale poaching operation. She flees the encampment with the help of a young woman named Tuki, who leads her and other victims to a refuge called Ipharadisi. There, she meets the majestic, menacing Queen Zaina and a handsome doctor named Erec. The refuge is dedicated to rescuing and rehabilitating victims of violence, and Kay is told that she can’t leave, as she might reveal its location. Her strained relationship with the queen comes to a head when the mystical secret of Kay’s past (and her dreams) is fully revealed. As Ipharadisi comes under increasing threat, Kay trains to take on greater responsibility. With its emphasis on South African politics and current events, Arielle’s novel is a refreshing departure from the well-trod ground of paranormal romance stories. The community of Ipharadisi is richly imagined and fleshed out in vivid detail, from its cultures and customs to its intriguing sporting pastimes. At the market, for example, Kay learns that the natives mix the fermented kola nuts with water to make their own cola drink. The constant athletic competition among donga fighters will remind readers that despite the prevailing desire for peace, this is a warrior culture that must remain battle-ready. Kay’s narrative voice, as written by Arielle, is well-suited to a promising young journalist, and she comes across as witty and observant but self-conscious and vulnerable. She also manages to be delightfully wry without slipping into cynicism, and she has just enough quirks: her guilty pleasure is wrestling on TV, and she admits to daydreaming about being at the library.
A smart, thrilling story of a dangerous and mystical adventure.Pub Date: Dec. 26, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4903-5400-2
Page Count: 506
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: July 30, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2015
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
In more ways than one, a tale about young creatures testing their wings; a moving, entertaining winner.
A fifth-grade New Orleans girl discovers a mysterious chrysalis containing an unexpected creature in this middle-grade novel.
Jacquelyn Marie Johnson, called Jackie, is a 10-year-old African-American girl, the second oldest and the only girl of six siblings. She’s responsible, smart, and enjoys being in charge; she likes “paper dolls and long division and imagining things she had never seen.” Normally, Jackie has no trouble obeying her strict but loving parents. But when her potted snapdragon acquires a peculiar egg or maybe a chrysalis (she dubs it a chrysalegg), Jackie’s strong desire to protect it runs up against her mother’s rule against plants in the house. Jackie doesn’t exactly mean to lie, but she tells her mother she needs to keep the snapdragon in her room for a science project and gets permission. Jackie draws the chrysalegg daily, waiting for something to happen as it gets larger. When the amazing creature inside breaks free, Jackie is more determined than ever to protect it, but this leads her further into secrets and lies. The results when her parents find out are painful, and resolving the problem will take courage, honesty, and trust. Dumas (Jaden Toussaint, the Greatest: Episode 5, 2017, etc.) presents a very likable character in Jackie. At 10, she’s young enough to enjoy playing with paper dolls but has a maturity that even older kids can lack. She’s resourceful, as when she wants to measure a red spot on the chrysalegg; lacking calipers, she fashions one from her hairpin. Jackie’s inward struggle about what to obey—her dearest wishes or the parents she loves—is one many readers will understand. The book complicates this question by making Jackie’s parents, especially her mother, strict (as one might expect to keep order in a large family) but undeniably loving and protective as well—it’s not just a question of outwitting clueless adults. Jackie’s feelings about the creature (tender and responsible but also more than a little obsessive) are similarly shaded rather than black-and-white. The ending suggests that an intriguing sequel is to come.
In more ways than one, a tale about young creatures testing their wings; a moving, entertaining winner.Pub Date: Nov. 11, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943169-32-0
Page Count: 212
Publisher: Plum Street Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A YA novel that treats its subject and its readers with respect while delivering an engaging story.
In the ninth book in the Bluford young-adult series, a young Latino man walks away from violence—but at great personal cost.
In a large Southern California city, 16-year-old Martin Luna hangs out on the fringes of gang life. He’s disaffected, fatherless and increasingly drawn into the orbit of the older, rougher Frankie. When a stray bullet kills Martin’s adored 8-year-old brother, Huero, Martin seems to be heading into a life of crime. But Martin’s mother, determined not to lose another son, moves him to another neighborhood—the fictional town of Bluford, where he attends the racially diverse Bluford High. At his new school, the still-grieving Martin quickly makes enemies and gets into trouble. But he also makes friends with a kind English teacher and catches the eye of Vicky, a smart, pretty and outgoing Bluford student. Martin’s first-person narration supplies much of the book’s power. His dialogue is plain, but realistic and believable, and the authors wisely avoid the temptation to lard his speech with dated and potentially embarrassing slang. The author draws a vivid and affecting picture of Martin’s pain and confusion, bringing a tight-lipped teenager to life. In fact, Martin’s character is so well drawn that when he realizes the truth about his friend Frankie, readers won’t feel as if they are watching an after-school special, but as though they are observing the natural progression of Martin’s personal growth. This short novel appears to be aimed at urban teens who don’t often see their neighborhoods portrayed in young-adult fiction, but its sophisticated characters and affecting story will likely have much wider appeal.
A YA novel that treats its subject and its readers with respect while delivering an engaging story.Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2004
ISBN: 978-1591940173
Page Count: 152
Publisher: Townsend Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 26, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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